iOS 18 rumored to turn your AirPods Pro into a very helpful medical device،
Last year, the FDA created a new category of hearing aids that can be purchased over-the-counter without a prescription, medical examination or fitting. And with that in mind, Apple could be about to enter this market with the AirPods Pro. According to Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his To light up newsletter, we shouldn't expect to see any changes to the AirPods Pro hardware in 2024. Instead, Gurman writes that “the big news will be a major new hearing aid mode, alongside iOS 18.”
In November 2022, we told you about a study conducted at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. An AirPods Pro and an AirPods 2, each paired with an iPhone, used the handsets' Live Listen feature which uses an iPhone's microphone to amplify sound and send it to a pair of AirPods. Study author Yen-Fu Cheng concluded that “these wireless headphones are of course not perfect, but they would be a good starting point for many patients who do not have access to hearing aids.” professionals. in quality of life even with these headphones.”
In 2016, Apple was granted a patent for biometric sensors that collect personal health data through a pair of headphones.
Cheng also felt that due to the “social stigma” around wearing hearing aids, some people with hearing loss might feel better wearing a pair of AirPods. After all, one survey showed that 75 percent of Americans wouldn't wear a hearing aid because it made them look too old. On the other hand, wearing a pair of AirPods can make someone look more “with it” (for lack of a better phrase).
